‘I didn’t trust me’ – Doucoure hits Lampard for the management style during Everton Reign

Abdouye Doucoure has opened about his problematic time with Frank Lampard in Everton, revealing that his relationship took a strong recession, which led to his exclusion from the first team.

Lampard took over Everton in January 2022, guiding the club to the survival of the Premier League dramatically with a crucial victory of 3-2 over Crystal Palace, a match where Doucoure was in the initial alignment.

However, despite an initially positive relationship, things were soon grouped between the midfielder and his manager.

Reflecting on his experience with Lampard, Doucoure shared his frustrations about the lack of communication.

He said: “He did not speak, there was no communication between him and me,” he told the superposition of the overlap. “I was training with the Sub-21 because they excluded me from the team, he walked away.

“After a game at home, we had a great discussion between him and me. I wasn’t happy and I told him the truth because I’m honest, and he didn’t like it. The day after they said you can’t keep the team, he felt disrespected by me in front of the other players, and said you need to train with those under 21 years of age or train alone.

“He lacked respect: Everton was a great lesson, and he learned from that!” 😬

Abdouye Doucoure in his time working with Frank Lampard 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/tz8vano1lz

– The overlap (@weethoverlap) February 10, 2025

“I said: ‘I’m going to train alone’ because I know how to take care of myself. Fortunately it was not long, two or three days, because I think he was fired a week later.

During the mandate of Lampard, which lasted 44 games, Doucoure rarely received an initial role. In contrast, under managers like Carlo Ancelotti, Sean Dyche and now David Moyes has been a key player.

“Frank Lampard is the only manager who didn’t trust me much. I think he made a mistake with me to be honest. I am a working type and a humble person, hard work in training. Obviously, he can make a decision, he never ordered the choice that a manager makes.

“Sometimes you have to be fair and I don’t think it was fair to me, leaving me on the bench for so many games and did not give me the opportunity, it bothered me with him. I was waiting for my chance and he did not trust me, and I think he made a mistake because I only demonstrated that I was wrong after that. Because after the new manager arrived, Sean Dyche, I was a manufacturer of the difference in the team.

“It was very difficult because I love Everton, and due to my relationship with him I was moving away, I was almost out of the club. So it was very sad for me, because when you start exploring your options, going to another club, I never wanted that. My faith is very strong, I always believe in hard work, hard work is worth it. I was very happy to stay, and signed a new contract after that. “

Since left Everton, Lampard has assumed the position of Coventry City manager and has seen improvements in the results of the team. Doucoure believes that his former manager took important lessons of his time at Goodison Park.

“He was a great player, he was a fantastic player, everyone knows. But as a manager, in Everton it was a great lesson for him, and I think he learned from that. “